The Yellow Ammer. 71 
sists of several notes repeated rapidly, and ending with 
two longer ones: country people say it says, “A little 
bit of bread and no cneese.” In winter these birds 
collect together in large flocks, and they have no objec- 
tion to the company of any other kind of birds that 
feed on the same sort of food as themselves. Ata 
rick-yard, when the weather is very severe, several 
kinds of birds may be seen together—yellow ammers 
and different kinds of finches. The hedge sparrow 
always seems afraid of so many birds, and keeps in 
the background until it sees something it would very 
much like, then hops quickly, pecks up the thing it 
wants, and either returns with fast hops or flies back 
to its retired spot: shoulda stray yellow ammer chance 
tommyeover and see these numbers, it will be almost 
sure to descend, and if so, it will be witha remarkably 
quick downward flight, to settle on a tree close by, if 
there should be one, before joining the party below ; 
and when alighted, will utter its plaintive note, at the 
same time jerking its tail and opening the tail-feathers. 
When this bird is alarmed, it will generally only fly to 
some neighbouring tree or hedge near the spot where 
it is feeding. They feed on various kinds of food; 
but at this time of the year prefer corn and other 
